PBA ReporterA lecturer of the Department of English and Literary Studies (ELS), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Mr Ogochukwu Ukwueze, on Monday injured a student with a piece of stone over noise making in class.
Eighteen-year-old Miss Blessing Chinyere Mecha from the Department of Arts Education (English unit), who is offering ELS 103 as an ancillary course, was unfortunate to be caught by the stone hauled at a group of students inside the UNN Faculty of Arts Lecture Hall, who were making noise and causing distraction to another class being held by the lecturer at another end.
According to an eye witness, Mr Ukwueze, who was at one end of the lecture hall teaching final year students, had tried to control the first year students as there was no lecturer with them, but they remained unruly and he angrily threw a piece of stone which accidentally hit Blessing on the head.
Blessing was rushed to the University Medical Centre for treatment as she was bleeding profusely.
Assistant Class Representative of ELS, 100-level, Miss Happiness Mba, said trouble began, when the lecturer entered the class to teach, and it turned out that first year students were at the other end of the hall signing attendance before the incident occurred.
“We were at the hall, trying to sign attendance, after our first lecture when the lecturer walked in with his students to teach. During the struggle and noise to sign attendance, he was unnoticed, and after unsuccessful attempts to calm the class, he got angry and picked up a piece of stone, and flung it at the direction of the students, which accidentally hit Miss Mecha on the head,” Miss Mba stated.
The incident which occurred around 8 am on Monday, drew the ire of the students who started chanting songs, demanding sack of the lecturer.
“This caused chaos between Mecha’s course mates and the final year students, who came to defend their lecturer. It was during this scuffle, that the University security operatives were called in to restore peace and the lecturer was whisked away through the back of the hall. The students noticing the situation, started chanting and demanding that the lecturer be sacked,” Miss Mba added.
In an interview with some students while the students were outside the Faculty of Arts Lecture Hall shouting we need ‘Justice, Justice’, Jessica Ebere Obiuzor, another student of the English Department, stated that the lecturer, in as much as he defaulted by stoning a student, never showed remorse for his attitude, and for that reason should be penalized.
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“Someone would think that after what he did, he would feel remorse for his action, but the shocking part of it all is that he never showed concern and that’s why students angrily protested, before he was whisked away by UNN security. We want justice,” Miss Obiuzor stated.
In the same vein, another student from the Department of Arts Education, who pleaded anonymity, protested that the UNN lecturer must be made to face the full wrath of the law.
“I don’t care if he’s a senior lecturer or not; all we want is justice for Blessing, for the wicked act done to her.”
When the correspondents visited the University Medical Centre, where Miss Blessing is receiving treatment, Faculty of Arts Staff Adviser, Mr Ambrose Onu, was seen expressing dismay over what happened.
Mr Onu, who said he was totally devastated by the news of the incident, maintained that the lecturer had no right to do what he did.
“I am totally devastated by this news when I received it, because this student is a daughter to me and unto the faculty, and anything done to her, affects me and the entire Faculty. The lecture has no right to lay hand on any student. He acted against the law,” Mr Onu said emphatically.
Dean of Students Affairs, Prof Edwin Omeje, who went to the medical center to see the victim, advised the students not to take the law into their hands.
Prof Omeje assured them that the issue would be properly addressed, but insisted that, in doing so, due processes must be followed.
“When I was called up, I knew that this was unusual, and never had this happen before. Notwithstanding, this is a time to show solidarity and all frayed nerves should be calm, and allow the normal process of the law to follow its course.”
Mecha Blessing, a 100-level student of Arts Education, is a native of Ohafia LGA of Abia State. She had gone to the Faculty of Arts Lecture Hall for ELS 103, a course she is taking at the Department of English and Literary Studies as stipulated in the academic calender of her Department.
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